JNS.org– Plans to begin exporting Israeli gas to Egypt are moving forward, Egyptian Petroleum Minister Tarek El-Molla said on Monday, but much remains to be done.

“Everything is agreed on … countries [involved] have already given their blessings. There is no issue in that,” Molla told reporters during an energy conference in Abu Dhabi, Reuters reported.

“It’s a multilateral deal, a gas deal and a pipeline deal so it is a little bit a lengthy process. That’s why it is taking a little bit of time,” he said.

The gas will be supplied through the East Mediterranean Gas subsea pipeline.

Israel’s Energy Ministry stated on its website that it “is engaged in supporting efforts to create export options for offshore natural gas, including building the ambitious ‘EastMed’ pipeline from Israel’s and Cyprus’s offshore gas fields to Europe (specifically to Italy via Greece), and transporting gas to Egypt’s idle liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Damietta and Idku, or for supply to the Egyptian domestic market.”